Teicoplanin--domiciliary use in surgical infections

This is an ongoing study designed to evaluate the role of teicoplanin in the therapy of sternal wound infections following cardiac surgery caused by Gram-positive microorganisms. Intravenous teicoplanin therapy is begun in the hospital, but once the patients return home it is given as a single intramuscular dose of 400 mg/day. Only a limited number of patients have been recruited so far, but in these, the clinical success rate and the bacteriological elimination rate are 85%. Only one patient had to be withdrawn from the study due to intolerable side-effects. These preliminary results suggest that teicoplanin is suitable for the therapy of chest wound infections following cardiac surgery; a major part of the course can be administered at home in a single daily intramuscular injection. This novel therapy regimen is expected to reduce considerably the hospital costs involved in the therapy of sternal wound infections.